Target apparatus



May 7, 1940- A. D. HAMILTON TARGET APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1937 N mwwm T m V ZWM WA A Patented May 7, 1940 1 Q .1: t v v I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' I I 2,199,701 I I c TARGET APPARATUS I Asa ,1), :Hamilton, Niles, Mich. v Application October 28, 1937;v Serial No. 171,421 8.Claims. (crave-102.1)

This invention relates to targets and thelike, Fig e 3 is an end elevation showing the opand is'illustrated as embodied in an apparatus .e'r'ating mechanism; I for use by two marksmen in competition with Figure 4 is a detail elevation on a large scale each other. I v of part of thejratchet'mechanism appearing in 5v Objects of the invention are to provide a sim- Figure 1; and I ple and efiective apparatus giving an indication, F gure 5 is a partial vertical section through preferably visual, of the accuracy of the shots, the ratchet mechanism. and. to arrange the apparatus, according to a very I The illustrated apparatus is i tended for use important feature of the invention, to give an inas a target forv two marksmen shooting, comdication of the relative efiectiveness of'the firpetitively. It includes a suitable open-ended ing by two marksmen. casing of boiledr kplat? or itfier material which ;In one desirable arrangement the. indicator is W11 no e injure y s ray lets, and which is controlled by shots entering atarget opening, or secured togetherin any desired manner. The

1* otherwise checked as being accurate; preferably lgrout parzel of the casing carries, arranged side 0 the opening is alined with impact-operated y id W p r s such s removable bushin s means which operates the indicator. If the com 12 and Secu t0 t Panel y iockmlis petitive feature of the invention is to be utilized, threaded thereon, and which have horizontal there may be two of these target openings arcenktitll axial o ieninigs the'lethrolllgh vhich serve ranged side by side and alined in a novel man-' as seyes or arge openings w .ch he. marks-' 2 ner respectively with two devices acting on the men try to i Th h n 2 and i4 may 2(1- 'j di t r, n acting t hift, it, i ane 'di readily be removed, for replacement with other rection and the other acting to shift it in the i e chalifeabletbushings' having target 4 openopposite direction. Thus the indicator shows. h1g8 0 i e ren Sizes. I I I v a resultant which shows the superior efiective The a e of t e casingvis Shown extended realness of the firing by the better marksman v gvardrlly and forntjedi with an vilistandin flange 26 The devices which are operated by the firing 0 W D e a vertica y upstanding d to actuate the indicator-embody substantial o'vator arm whosecp i i n indicates the relelty both in construction and arrangement, and ive fi iv ness 0f t e firing 0f the i1W0 m especially in the manner in whichrthey act one -t The Casing lh an upstanding Screen 30, the indicator. They are illustrated as each op 2- p ov ded With a suitable scale for th d 3i)v erated by the impact of successful shots, toshift ga r? t ggh b g t z P j t an in one sense or the other what may be regarded, DOlIl 6 06111160 6 0 he indicator 20 as being generically a novel sort of ratchet mechs y means i S a- COil Spring 25, and which is, anism, arranged to hold the indicator in various l n d a y, s t i h t y a ray lpositions determined by the preponderance ,of ffiu tbiow wi ilir a glanficina lyrileldin 02138 a successful shots by one marksman over the other. W1 no 1111111? ,6 in 10a I I 6 r yv Preferably when it reaches one or the other of also suitable stops 28 limiting moi/31mm its two extremes it locks there, showing which the pomter e m la d marksman has Won I with suitable brackets supporting the various The above and other objectsand features of in q below? v the invention, including the construction" and b ets passmgvthrqugh-i the P f i the I 1 ushmg l2 impact against asteel plate 3i on an an angfament 3 novel latchet mecha'msm for arm 32 securedon a transverse horizontal shaft operating the indicator, and an arrangement for 34 j'bumaled in openings or bearings two a remote Control Operable from e k s brackets SS- carried by the casing l9. Move 45 position for returning the indicator to zero, and m t of m 42 limited y a Suitable t other novel arrangements and desirable particuary stop bracket 31. The plate 39 is flanged, lar constructions, will be apparent from the folaroundthe end of the bushing 12, to limit any lowing description of the illustrative embodi splashing of the lead of the bullet. -simi] 1 5o; mehi? Shown in the p y ..draWing, in bullets :passing through the bushing-fl t impact 51) WhiChI w I against a flanged plate 40 on an arm it?! secured Figure 1 is a rear elevation ofithe apparatus; on a shaft 44 journaled in o-peningsor bearings Figure 2 is a top plan View, having, the casing, carried by the brackets 36; Thus successful shots partly broken away to show the operating mechcause the rocking of one, or the other of the as; a i m i g tsfland 44.-

Each of the shafts has its ends bent rearwardly to form a pair of horizontal arms or operating levers, shaft 34 having arms 38 and shaft 44 having arms 48. The arms 38 pass through openings in, and carry suspended therefrom, a U-shaped ratchet bar 50 (best shown in Figure 1), while the arms 48 carry a similar but somewhat longer bar 52 spaced forwardly of and parallel to and on the same level as the bar 50. The shafts 34 and 44 are of different lengths, so that they are also on the same level.

It will be seen that the impact of a bullet passing through one of the bushings l2 or 14 will act through arm 32 or 42 and shaft 34 or 44 to lift" one or the other of the ratchet bars 58 or 52,

These bars, in their central portions, are formed with oppositely-directed ratchet teeth 54 (see Figure 4) engaging, when the corresponding bar 50 or 52 is so raised, one end or the other of an axle 56 (Figure 5) fixed in a ratchet'r'oller'58 are also shown embracing a stationary stop bar 64 above and paralleling theratchet bar 68, and which limits upward movement of the roller 58.

The axle 56 is shown as carrying, suspended from its ends, a yoke 66 having pivotally mounted at its lower end a grooved roller 68 the upper edge of which engages a horizontal but verticallybowed coil spring 10 tensioned across the casing l0.

It will be seen that spring 10 is additionally I tensioned by lifting either of the ratchet bars 50 the spaces between the teeth on its "upper edge,

as shown in Figure 4, with two of the'teeth on the bars 58 and 52 just below and extending just past, in opposite directions, the ends of the axle 56. v 1

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the impact of a bullet on the plate 48, for example, will lift the bar 52 causing one of the teeth on the bar to lift the roller ofi the bar 68 against the resistance of the spring I0, whereupon the axle 56 will roll down the tooth which so engages it (to the left in Figure 4) so that when the parts swing back to normal the roller 56 seats in the next recess to the left between the teeth on bar 60. A bullet engaging the plate 30 will similarly shift the roller 58 one tooth to the right in Figure 4.

The rear strap of the yoke 66 carries a slotted plate 14, or equivalent means, embracing the indicator arm 20, so the shifting of theroller 58 correspondingly shifts the indicator.

The teeth on the bar 6lldefine several posi-' the roller 58, with slopes in both directions, in-

stead of a slope on the operating side and a vertical surface on the other side. Thus at either extreme position 84 or 86 the indicator becomes, in effect, locked in place, so that it is not shifted either way by further hits.

At the end of each round of firing the indicator may be returned to zero by a remote control op-"- erable from the marksmens position. The particular control illustrated is a cord or cable 88, passing over a pulley 98, and connected to a vertical lever 92 fulcrumed on a bracket 94. The lever 92 is connected at its upper end to a return spring 86, which normally holds it against a stop on the bracket 94.

Connected to the lever 92 is a cord 98 passing between a pair of sheaves I and connected to the axle fifi. This cord is long enough so that it does not interfere with the shifting of the indicator to either position 84 or 86; however, when the lever 92 is rocked the cord 98 pulls the indicator mechanism back from either extreme to the zero position.

I From Figure 3 it will be apparent that I prefer "to arrange the shafts 34 and 44 considerably above the-level of the bushings l2 and i4, with the levers 32 and 42 inclined downwardly there- 1 from, so that plates 38 and 48 are correspondingly inclined and engage the beveled rear ends of the bushings l2 and I4. This prevents possible damage from. direct impact by the bullets, as it insures a glancing blow.

While I have described in detail one embodiment of my, invention, in which the impact of the bullets actuates the indicator, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than bythe terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

.1. Target apparatus comprising an indicator having positionson opposite sides of a neutral center, impact actuated devices for shifting the indicator progressively along said positions, said devices acting to shift the indicator in opposite directions, means for holding the indicator in eitherextreme position whenever it reaches that position, and means operable from a remote point for returning the indicator to said neutral center.

2. Target apparatus comprising a pair of impact-actuated devices arranged side by side, parts having target openings alined with and affording access of bullets to said devices to actuate them, and indicator means actuated in one sense by one of said devices and in the other sense by the other of said devices, said means including a member shiftable to different positions on opposite sides of a zero position, and means for locking it in either of two extreme positions.

3; Targetapparatus comprising a plurality of devices actuated under the control of accurate shots by a corresponding plurality of marksmen, and indicator means operated jointly by said devices and shifted to one or the other of a plurality of 'final positions by a predetermined preponderance of accurate shots by one of the marksmen, in combination with means for holding the indicator means in said final positions.

4. Target apparatus comprising a plurality of devices actuated under the control of accurate shots by a corresponding plurality of marksmen, and indicator means operated jointly by said devices and shifted to one or the other of a plurality of, final positions by a predetermined preponderance of accurate shots by one of the marksmen, in combination'with means for holding the indicator means in said final positions, and means for returning the indicator means to its initial position.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising two actuating devices arranged operatively in line with target openings, a ratchet bar, a member shifted in one direction along said bar by one of said devices and shifted in the other direction verse ratchetbar, a member shifted in one direction along said bar by one of said devices and shifted in the other direction along said bar by the other of said devices, and a vertical indicating arm actuated byv said member.

'7. An actuator mechanism for apparatus of the class described comprising a horizontal bar formed with ratchet teeth on its upper edge, a roller resting on said teeth and having flanges embracing said bar, an upper horizontal bar spaced above the roller and embracedbetween the flanges, devices for shifting the roller in op- I posite directions from one tooth to the next of said bar, and marksmen-controlled means for operating said devices.

-8. Target apparatus formed with a target opening, an actuating device comprising a casing in the casing in line with said opening, a ratchet bar, a member shiftable in stepby-step movement along said ratchet bar, a movable bar having sloping teeth engageable with said'member to shift it along the ratchet bar, and means operated by said actuating device to move said 

